I took a weekend trip to Sam Houston this previous weekend for some spring squirrel hunting. I had no luck and saw no squirrels over 16 hours. I think I was not looking in the right places -- I have never squirrel hunted outside of Bastrop (hill country) and didn't know what to expect in the pineylands.

I checked a variety of habitats all over the forest (although they were all pretty similar), sitting still for ~20 minutes at least once in each one: dense thick medium sized pine; open tall pine w/ some scattered small oaks/gum; palmetto forest w/ pines/hardwoods.

I am hoping to have a successful trip before the season ends (E TX is the only place I can hunt w/ a rimfire) and I have a friend who has never hunted wanting to join for the next trip.

I would really appreciate any pointers on what squirrels are eating right now in E TX . Or if there are more productive WMA's I could check on my next trip (Sam Houston is 2.5 hours away, Davey Crockett 3.5, Gus Engeling 4, Sabine Forest 4.5). I am not looking for your secret spots (but i'd take them !!), just any pointers to help locate some squirrels on the next attempt.

I will share a tip for Hill Country Fox Squirrels in Spring: Most of their nut caches have run out but nothing is producing fruit or acorns yet, so they are eating the growing buds of trees. Cedar elm, pecan, and butternut trees leaves bloom in sequence. So at each peak leaf cycle (being when the leaves are most soft and tender) squirrels will have a pretty big preference to one vs. the other. You will see them a lot in cedar elms when the leafs first start to emerge (early spring), but towards May-ish the butternut trees (late leafers) are putting out leafs and catkin buds that they will move towards.

Are you using any squirrel calls? I use, or really, have used, the old bellows type as well as a "whistler" button that sounds like a young squirrel in distress. We used to use the whistler while whacking the brush with your hat to imitate the sounds of a young squirrel being attacked by a hawk or owl. Camo up good, use the whistler, and get ready for a bunch of angry squirrels sticking their heads up looking for the intruder. Keep in mind, I haven't hunted squirrels in over 45 years, but I still have my calls in my hunting closet.

Squirrels aren't just "in the woods". They are highly dependent on certain trees and plants to support them. Unlike deer which are a more adaptive species, squirrels are particularly specialist animals. They are also more affected by forest burns and selective logging. For example good luck finding fox squirrels in a pine tree forest.

I think you may mean gray squirrels?
If you want to find Fox squirrels you will find them in the big pines. They go after pine cone seeds. Burning helps reduce ground litter and brush. Fox squirrels prefer open forest where they can see long ways which is also why you find them in old growth city parks. With the decline in old growth forest we have seen declines in fox squirrels.

The hardwoods along creeks that support oaks will have lots of gray squirrels

i think you may mean gray squirrels?
If you want to find fox squirrels you will find them in the big pines. They go after pine cone seeds. Burning helps reduce ground litter and brush. Fox squirrels prefer open forest where they can see long ways which is also why you find them in old growth city parks. With the decline in old growth forest we have seen declines in fox squirrels.

The hardwoods along creeks that support oaks will have lots of gray squirrels

I think you may mean gray squirrels?
If you want to find Fox squirrels you will find them in the big pines. They go after pine cone seeds. Burning helps reduce ground litter and brush. Fox squirrels prefer open forest where they can see long ways which is also why you find them in old growth city parks. With the decline in old growth forest we have seen declines in fox squirrels.

The hardwoods along creeks that support oaks will have lots of gray squirrels